A love expressed with joy

Deacon Eric Shafer

Deacon Eric Shafer can't get through more than a few minutes
without laughing. And it's a contagious laugh. The
transitional deacon, who will be ordained a priest June 8 at
the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, seems to
communicate what Pope Francis referred to in a homily last
month as "the joy of being loved by God."

"I've always had a joyful spirit about me," said the
31-year-old Catholic convert during a recent interview. And,
he added, being with parishioners, serving them pastorally
and sacramentally, "really draws out that joy."

Deacon Shafer was born Nov. 15, 1981, to Brenda and Jerry
Shafer. His father, who was in the Army, died when he was 16
and his mother remarried.

Although he grew up an unbaptized Baptist, he was attracted
to Catholicism even as a small boy. He remembers seeing
images of beautiful Catholic churches in movies and thinking
the Catholic Church was the real deal, that it was "The
Church," he said.

After he graduated in 2000 from Fauquier High School in
Warrenton, Deacon Shafer attended Northern Virginia Community
College for a while, eventually moving to Charlotte, N.C., to
work for Wachovia Bank. He dated a Peruvian girl who was
culturally Catholic, and he thought about converting to
Catholicism to marry in the church.

The relationship ended in 2002 and he found himself still
considering conversion. It was a pivotal time for him.

Deacon Shafer had known he wanted to do some kind of service
work, either as a police officer or a firefighter, or to
follow in his father's footsteps in the military.

The year after his breakup, he made the decision to join the
church and the Army.

He went through basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and
was stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y.

At the 2003 Easter Vigil, Deacon Shafer was received into the
Catholic Church. That night a decade ago was "the highlight
of my life," he said.

The journey to that moment was a bit bumpy at times, he
acknowledged, but overall "it was a lot of fun." Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults classes opened up a whole new
world to him, and he was able to understand the details and
depth of the faith he'd felt so drawn to since he was young.

As a new Catholic, the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II was
a special inspiration, and his death was another turning
point in his life.

"My desire to be a priest had always been there, but I really
didn't recognize it until then," he said. Inspired by the
pope's holiness and strength, Deacon Shafer wanted to model
his life after him. "It was then that I really started to
think about the priesthood."

While on leave from the Army in 2005, Deacon Shafer met with
Father Brian G. Bashista, Arlington diocesan director of
vocations, and started to consider a vocation more intensely.
He eventually enrolled in the Pontifical College Josephinum
in Columbus, Ohio, earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy
in 2009. Deacon Shafer recently completed his final year at
Catholic University's Theological College in Washington.

His diaconate year was spent at All Saints Church in
Manassas, the largest parish in the diocese. While at times
it was stressful to juggle demanding seminary and parish
responsibilities, Deacon Shafer knows balancing multiple
demands is part of being a parish priest - and it's a job
he's ready to jump into wholeheartedly.

"After so many years preparing, you want to do the things
you've been learning about, the things that God created you
to do," he said.

"There are guys who struggle with doubt in seminary, but I
honestly felt this is God's call for me. I didn't always know
how it would all work out, but I felt really secure in the
call. It's a grace and I'm so grateful for it."

And along with gratitude, he'll no doubt continue to answer
the call with a steady dose of laughter and much joy.